A Friday hero, minus an alias

After Wayzata defeated Minnetonka 23-21 Friday night, with the winning points coming on a fourth-quarter field goal, Trojans coach Brad Anderson talked about his kicker. Funny thing was, the coach didn't even know the kid's name.

"Up until tonight I've just called him 'the sophomore kicker,' " Anderson said with a laugh. "I think his name is Stringham or something like that. To be honest, I don't know his first name." Or his last name. David Stranghoener, meet your coach.

After first-string kicker Logan Fahnhorst was found to have mononucleosis, the coaching staff had to scramble for a new leg. Stranghoener — who had never kicked in a varsity game beore Friday's Classic Lake Conference contest in Wayzata between the third-ranked Trojans and No. 4 Minnetonka — learned of his new assignment Thursday.

"That was probably better [than hearing the news a few days earlier]," he said. "Tonight was a lot of fun, and nerve-wracking."

Stranghoener, whose name did not appear in the program, kicked a 32-yard field goal with 5 minutes, 19 seconds to play. That put the Trojans ahead 23-14 and made the difference in a wild finish.

Minnetonka scored on a 42-yard pass from Nate Adams to Josh Allen, making the score 23-21 with 2:46 left. After the Skippers recovered a Wayzata fumble, Minnetonka senior kicker Greg Fleming missed a 33-yard try with 56 seconds left.

"[Fleming's] a great kicker, and he's going to win some games for us this year," Minnetonka coach Dave Nelson said. "That's the life of a kicker."

Minnetonka (1-1), which finished 7-3 last season, has nine starters back on defense. Wayzata (2-0), with six defensive starters back, was 5-5 in 2006.

With all those experienced defenders returning, one would figure that Friday's game wasn't going to be a fireworks show. But Wayzata had some matches and lit the fuse, with two quarterbacks throwing to two tall, talented junior wide receivers for scores.

Fritz Rock caught two touchdown passes and Cecil Doe caught one. Starting quarterback Matt Tarpley hit each of them for a score and Dylan Thelemann also connected with Rock.

Minnetonka lost the ball on two interceptions — one in the end zone — and was called for six penalties. And yet, the Skippers nearly got away with the victory.

"With all the mistakes we made, all you can ask is a chance to win it at the end," Nelson said.

The Trojans are smiling today for reasons that go beyond winning. While Minnetonka played without one offensive lineman (6-5, 285-pound senior starter Zach Sieber), Wayzata was three starters in the hole. Along with Fahnhorst, offensive lineman Mike Ehm was injured and running back Jauhem Byrd was finishing a two-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of school rules.

But the Trojans were up to the task. The 6-1 Rock and 6-3 Doe have wheels as well as hands, and they were easy targets for Tarpley and Thelemann. In the Wayzata tradition, the backup quarterback (Thelemann) plays the third series of each half. Thelemann did so Friday, but his scoring pass to Rock came while Tarpley was on the bench, applying ice to an arm that had been whacked.

Minnetonka led 14-7 at halftime, with Allen falling on a teammate's fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and Adams running 11 yards for a score. But Wayzata won the second half.

"We told the kids at halftime that we shouldn't expect a smooth ride," Anderson said.

Before the game, Anderson had approached a writer who has a hand in constructing the weekly metro top 10.

"We're not a three," he said of his team, which, of course, is ranked No. 3 behind Eden Prairie and Cretin-Derham Hall.

After the game, it was that writer's turn to approach Anderson.

"You're a three, coach. You're still a three."

Thanks to that kicker, whatever his name is.

John Millea • jmillea@startribune.com